The belly of the beast

[Shaeva Fyron]

Standing in the shadow of the Black Tower as it loomed over the grassy plains Shaeva could understand the apprehension of those among the Kin and Aes Sedai, those who feared another war with the Black Tower was on the horizon. She understood their fears as she stood before the gate framed by the setting sun and yet she did not share them, for the only ones who could never be redeemed were those that walked at the Dark One’s side and the Seanchan. She raised her hand and placed her palm against the cool Cuendillar of the arch for a moment and then she rapped her knuckles against the infantryman’s gate cut into the larger, heavy wooden door. She could hear the Asha’man muttering behind the gate, her senses enhanced by the One Power which trickled life through her body. She could not feel the heat and yet she could feel every grain of the wood, she could feel the fibres of silk which lined her thick leather jacket and she could feel her half-cloak flapping in the wind. She could smell the meat cooking in the yard, all of it. The One Power made her feel like she had the whole world just beyond the tips of her fingers if only she reached out and drank deep, letting it sear her with raw life.



When the bolt clicked back Shaeva stepped back, pulling the hood from her head to reveal the long braid bound on either side of her head with her ponytail resting over her left shoulder, warm brown eyes filled with determination and curiosity. Living within sight of the Black Tower had certain benefits and she often heard whispers from the people who visited the Tower, word of their new Baijan'm'hael Valen and his sword brother Varian had reached her ears which piqued her curiosity. It represented a rise of a purist faction within the Tower who clung to the ideals of their founder, Rand Al’Thor, and any Asha’man who valued the ideals of the Dragon had the potential to heal old wounds which ran deep across the Westlands. That very news and the fact that the Asha’man were aware of the farmstead, they were always aware in reality but a recent visit had made it quite clear they were no longer willing to entirely ignore her presence, had brought her to their gates. She had offered the brothers hospitality and honesty, she hoped that they would do the same for her now that she stood upon their threshold. She watched carefully as the small port opened to reveal two stern looking men, one like her had grey in his hair and the other looked like a child beside them. Shaeva offered them both a smile as she spread her arms, releasing the power as she allowed them to search her person. They found most of her weapons and quietly placed them in a lock box, leaving her with one short blade tucked inside the bracer on her left arm as she stepped within the Tower’s grounds for the first time since the schism.



Swallowing the lump in her throat she submitted herself to a second search, the younger man obviously believing that the matter was not resolved, and she offered the short blade in her bracer with a smile ”Your instincts are good, Dedicated,” and she heard the cold laughter on the wall above her as a tall brother studied them smirking. The Dedicated and Asha’man quickly leaned in together muttering something and she resisted the urge to reach out to the One Power once more unsure if any of them could sense her mostly due to her lack of knowledge about the One Power for men and their talents. When they gestured for her to follow them without a word she pursed her lips in silent amusement and did as she was told, resisting the urge to look up as the Tower loomed above like a fang piercing the heavens. Stepping into the Tower was a new experience and she, despite knowing better, believed that it would be dark or even foreboding yet the antechamber glowed with warmth. It was almost inviting. She let go of the breath she did not even know she was holding as her escorts took her into a small chamber off to the side and the younger one asked her to sit and wait, taking up a position beside the door as his elder went off to find whoever they believed should handle their guest. Inevitably, it would be whichever brother was actually on watch with the next shift or an individual of authority but all the same she waited. One long leg folded over the top of the other, hands placed delicately in her lap. Unmoving. Like a statue, or an Aiel, she waited and it quickly became clear that her stillness was making the Dedicated uncomfortable but then the door opened, admitting a newcomer to the chamber who looked familiar somehow.

[Leander Varned]

Walking down the stairs from his quarters, Leander tried not to dwell on the piles of reports he'd left abandoned on his desk. It would be another late night going over them, but that was nothing the Asha'man wasn't used to doing. He turned to look at the Asha'man walking beside him, an old friend of his called Elias.

"You need me to entertain one of the Kin?" he asked with some curiosity as they made their way towards the Tower's entrance. Elias's request was an unusual one, but not so strange that Leander wasn't willing to help. The other man shrugged. "I'd have spoken to her myself but I have a class to teach soon. I'm really not sure why she's here, to be honest with you."

Leander stepped off the staircase. "I'll find out soon enough," he said. "If nothing else, it won't hurt to develop more ties between the Tower and the Kinswomen...you know we can use all the allies we can get right now."

Elias nodded. "We certainly can," he agreed, and turned left down the hall where his students would be waiting for him. Leander continued on alone until he arrived at the small rooms near the Tower entrance that were kept for waiting guests. He nodded to the Dedicated at the door of the room where the woman was waiting, then opened it and went inside.

A dark haired woman was seated inside. She seemed vaguely familiar, but Leander didn't think he'd ever met her before. He walked over to stand in front of her chair and smiled as he held out a hand. "Captain Leander Varned," he introduced himself. "What can the Black Tower do for you?"

[Shaeva Fyron]

The chamber felt as if the entire Black Tower pressed down upon her heavily as Shaeve perched upon the edge of the seat, practically motionless staring at the Dedicated charged with watching over her. She could see him glancing at her over and over, growing more and more nervous by the moment until finally the doors to the chamber swung open to admit the Asha’man. He was of a similar height to Shaeva, perhaps an inch taller, and she noted his short cropped hair and simple uniform. She watched the Dedicated who pressed his fist to his heart and bowed his head when Leander acknowledged him, then slipped from the room quietly without hesitation. She simply rose to her feet like a viper uncoiling from the earth and fixed her gaze upon Leander as he introduced himself, her face remaining passive and calm ”Kinswoman Shaeva,” she replied gently, her voice singing like wind chimes in the breeze, gentle and warm as she reached past his hand to clasp his wrist in a warrior’s greeting ”And that is the very question I asked of your brothers when they visited my farmstead just before the new moon.”

It was inevitable that the Asha’man would eventually turn their eyes to the farmstead, after all having a Kinswoman within spitting distance of their home would always be of concern for she was beyond their influence, a powerful channeller in her own right not bound by oath nor bound by loyalty to anyone except the Kin. Their visit had been a surprise and she could not deny it, the giant and his companion stood upon her doorstep with their steely eyes and precisely organised uniforms. She had, of course, offered them her hospitality and done her utmost to convince them that her home was a safe haven for all who might channel and need to escape but whether they were convinced or not was beyond her. It was the truth but she could lie as easily as a tavern keep or trader, so many doubted her words.

”I thought that I might return the favour, to visit unannounced and so here I am,” and she released his wrist ”I am here to, I suppose, prove that I am no threat to the Black Tower and that we might be friends of a sort, after all I do live within sight of your home and my sole concern is protecting those who reside there. So, the question is do you intend to keep me in this chamber as we talk or shall we walk?”

[Leander Varned]

As the Kinswoman introduced herself, Leander reached out and seized hold of saidin. The amount he held was small, far below his actual capacity, but was enough to brighten the colors in the room and more importantly, to allow Leander to hear her words clearly. What she said, however, was the cause of some of concern for the Asha'man. While he'd heard vague rumors that a couple of other Asha'men were considering paying her a visit, he had had nothing to do with it and had no idea what his brothers' motivation had been. He looked up at the Kinswoman, who had given her name as Shaeva, but found her expression as unreadable as that of any Aes Sedai he'd ever met. Had her visitors offended her? Insulted her? Leander could not tell.

He met her eyes for a brief moment then looked away, not wishing to appear intimidating or threatening towards her. "I apologize," he said, "if your unexpected visitors have troubled you in any way." As he addressed her, Leander returned his focus to Shaeva. Considering her next words, he felt there was a chance that they had not bothered her at all, but the possibility that they had was not something Leander could ignore.

"I wouldn't wish anyone to be disturbed by our presence, but as you said...you do live here, within the bounds of Caralain." With a small smile, the Asha'man said, "I can't speak for the entire Tower, but I'd much rather be allies, even friends, with you and yours than enemies." He would have liked to have thought that the rest of the Tower would agree, but his memories of the Tower War years ago reminded Leander that he could not make that assumption. He waved a hand towards the door, having gotten the distinct impression that Shaeva would rather not remain within the small room. "Would you like to walk, and see more of our home?" he offered. "Or do you want to stay here?"

[Shaeva Fyron]

The Tower seemed to press down upon her like the A’dam had once crushed her throat and broken her will, she longed for the open sky and yet Shaeva had no choice for she was a guest in his home and so she let him speak. She let him speak of friendships and the intentions of his brothers while she ignored the tingling discomfort spreading down her spine like water over rocks. She chose instead to focus on him, to study him as a predator might study its quarry drinking in every detail with a calm, steely gaze. She smiled slightly as he gestured to the door and nodded, trying to hide how desperately she wanted to be free of the chamber ”I would prefer we walked captain, thank you,” her voice like windchimes in a soft breeze as she spoke, the rise of fall of each syllable pronounced betraying her origin and perhaps some of her past to those with a keen mind ”And allow me to put you at ease captain, your brothers treated me with respect and made it quite clear that they mean to be friends to me and not enemies. I showed them my home and they met the Kin who reside with me at this moment, I broke bread with them all because I do not believe the Black Tower and the Kin should be enemies,” and she cocked her head, the veil hanging around her neck shifting out from beneath her half cloak.

”I offer an open hand and I have received one in return, all I ask if for assurances that those who live upon my farmstead shall be left in peace so long as they hold the peace and that your brothers will protect them should they need it, after all they are residing within Caralain like the common folk and I pay their taxes as the common folk do,” and she let warmth enter her eyes and her smile for the first time ”And as I spent years suffering for my gift,” she rubbed her fingers over her neck where the A’dam used to sit ”I shall not turn away any who need my help, man or woman, because this gift should never be a curse for anyone. I do not have much to offer but I hope what little I can offer is enough to convince you that I am a friend,” yet despite the warmth of her smile and the small movements she remained like a statue, an incredibly uncomfortable statue but a statue all the same. A habit she had learned from the Aiel and one she struggled to break.

”But, well, I should like to see the sky once more as we speak so let us, well you know, walk?” for she did not wish to presume and leave the chamber before her host had given his consent.

[Leander Varned]

Leander walked to the door and held it open, not saying anything until they had both left the room. Then he led the way to where they could walk in a circle around the perimeter of the Tower. Once they were moving, he spoke. "I'm glad to hear your visitors treated you well," he said to her. "There's no reason that the Black Tower and the Kin shouldn't get along. Since you pay taxes and obey the laws, you shouldn't be looked upon any differently than any other citizens of Caralain."

The Asha'man kept walking, following the black wall that encircled the Black Tower. It wasn't much to look at, but there were few places Leander could have taken her to walk and still remain on Tower grounds. He looked at the Kinswoman and said quietly, "And while I can't speak for anyone else, I could never ask you to reject anyone in need, especially not those who share our ability. There are still too many places in the world that aren't safe for a lone channeler..that is one of the reasons my Legion exists, to bring such men here where they can learn."

[Shaeva Fyron]

And as they stepped into the courtyard, out of the bowels of the Black Tower, Shaeva breathed a barely audible sigh of relief, falling in beside her host easily. The Black Tower was not all that different from the White Tower in Tar Valon, not really, and she could not decide if that brought her comfort or made the entire thing all too familiar. She watched out of the corner of her eye as a group of Dedicated marched across the courtyard and found the entire thing to be quite unfamiliar in reality, granted the Towers shared many things yet the entire atmosphere seemed to be as different as night and day, the way the Soldiers and the Dedicated carried themselves and interact with their Asha’man trainers. The Black Tower had the air of an army about it still, even so long after the fall of Rahlin they carried themselves like warriors and trained like them. It gave them common ground for she had trained as a warrior amongst the Aiel in the Wastes, something she did not share with the Aes Sedai and they could perhaps build a good bond because of it.

When he confirmed the nature of his Legion and his duties she turned her head to study him carefully, the stoney exterior fading ever so slightly. He served the same purpose as the Red Ajah and Shaeva herself, finding new channellers who might need help though in her own case she spent more time helping them escape the clutches of the White Tower or the Seanchan scum once their gifts were discovered, for many of those who joined her at the farmstead were entirely unsuitable for the Aes Sedai ”Captain, we would both do well to remember that I am not a citizen of Caralain in the way a farmer might be so I don’t expect to be treated with the same familiarity or ease, that is why I ask for your word and the word of your superiors about the treatment of my charges,” she began, her voice cool and level ”I am surprised it took this long. At the end of the day I am providing shelter to a group of unaffiliated channelers on your doorstep, though I am relieved you feel the same way I do about it all,”[/i] especially as he was a captain which meant he could be a potentially very useful ally should she run into any problems.

”So, ask me whatever you wish and if I can answer I will after all I am in your home and I interrogated your fellow Asha’man while they were in mine,” though she hoped he would not ask about certain matters, like why she kept touching her neck or why she wore the Aiel veil around her neck.

[Leander Varned]

Upon hearing her request, Leander stopped walking and turned to face the Kinswoman. Looking directly at her, he said, "I can promise you that I personally have no intention of disturbing any of those who share your home, and will defend them just like any other citizen should there be need. I will hold the men who serve under me to this as well." He looked away from her then, but didn't start walking again yet. "Please understand, however, that I can't tell you if my superiors will do the same. I can and will ask them, if you wish, but I can't make decisions for anyone other than myself and the men of the Fire Legion who answer to me."

He turned away from her and began to move forward again. "I can say that I know of no reason for them not to agree. Surely you're aware that the Black Tower is still working to regain the trust of most other nations." The tiny amount of grey in Shaeva's hair suggested to Leander that she had to be more than old enough to remember the Tower War, though he knew better than to ask any woman's age. He gave her another brief glance as they continued along the path. "It would be worse than foolish for them to object to your desire to live in peace with us."

As a guest in his home, Leander would not normally have bothered her with questions about her home and the Kin. He had no wish to make their visitor uncomfortable, but when she invited him to ask her questions, the Asha'man had no difficulty thinking of some. "If you're sure you don't mind," he said, "can you tell me more about the Kin living with you? How did they come to your home?" He paused to take a breath, then continued, "I would also like to know what brought you to choose a home so close to the Black Tower. Of course, you don't have to answer any of my questions if you'd rather not." Leander smiled at her, hoping he wasn't making her too nervous even if she was the one who'd suggested that he ask what he wanted to know.

[Shaeva Fyron]

Of course he could only speak for himself and his direct subordinates, those who would follow his orders first and foremost, but Shaeva hoped that having one who felt that they should be offered the neutrality and protection of the Black Tower as they were not enemies… well it could change the essence of matters quite drastically. Shaeva could ask for no more from him nor would she, instead she would open herself up to those Asha’man who wished to know more about her in an effort to protect the secrets of the Kin and appease them, they were simply men after all. Just as wool-headed and painfully nosy as any other man she had ever met, at least that’s what she expected from them even in the short term.

”First you should understand that I can only share a little about those in my care, the laws of the Kin are there to protect them and while I may not agree with them all I shall not go against them,” and she paused studying the courtyard carefully, with the eyes of a warrior drinking in every little detail. Everything. The curvature of the curtain wall, the look outs, all of it not because she feared them or wanted to fight them but because the last time she stood within the Black Tower’s walls… well it was under very, very different circumstances ”I take in those that need protection, I have little interest in where they came from or who they were before they asked for our help but just that they need our help,” she didn’t want to offer him too much. They were just beginning to build their relationship one paving stone at a time.

”And I suppose the farmstead… it made sense to put it here, at least to me. Too close to the Borderlands and we might face the Shadowspawn and well it would not be wise to make a home beneath the White Tower, so here we are. You were also once an enemy and it pays to keep an eye on your enemies, now it will help us become friends if all goes well. You are welcome to visit sometime,” Shaeva was normally a woman of few words but the relationship between herself and the Black Tower would be vital to her survival.

[Leander Varned]

Shaeva wasn't exactly forthcoming with her answers, but Leander hadn't expected her to be. More than that, he respected her need to protect the people who had come to her for help. So he didn't ask her any further questions, instead choosing to just keep walking and silently listen to what she was willing to share with him. He looked away from her when she commented on how the Black Tower had once been an enemy, letting himself focus on the black walls of the Tower surrounding them. The word brought painful memories of the Tower War to the surface of Leander's mind, and while he believed it shouldn't be forgotten, now was not the time.

As the Kinswoman beside him said, now was the time for friendship and looking to the future, not the past. With that thought in his mind, the Asha'man turned his attention back to Shaeva, looking at her again. He smiled when she suggested that he visit her home. "I'd be happy to," he said in response, "if you're sure the Kinswomen living with you wouldn't mind. I wouldn't blame them, or you, if you'd had enough Asha'men in your home for a while." There was silence between them for a short time as they moved past the training yards, then Leander spoke again. "Since we're working towards friendship between the Black Tower and the Kin.....I hope you know that some of us were never your enemy."

[Shaeva Fyron]

The war between the White and the Black Tower had no obvious villains nor did it have any real heroes, just shades of grey and tragedies painted throughout like chronicles upon the walls of a dark hall ”I do,” Shaeva replied softly as she stopped and studied the Black Tower with a thoughtful, almost unreadable expression upon her face. She could even remember the plan the Maidens came up with to get to Rahlin and their shock when the Asha’man rebels handed their lord over before their spears could find him ”Rahlin and his minions were the enemy before us when we besieged this place, the rest of you were either our allies or caught up in his wake unable to escape. The wars of mankind are never so simple as good and evil, if it were I would not be here unveiled Captain,” and she turned to face him fluidly, like an uncoiled viper.

”And I assure you, if you overstep while in my home the Kinswomen will make sure you know it but you are welcome in the spirit of friendship, it is quite likely that I will be the only woman you see because trust does not come easily to the outcasts and the downtrodden, traditions also breed mistrust and the Kin have many traditions,” and she studied him carefully, like a hawk might study it’s quarry ”I am… different. So captain, tell me about your role amongst your brothers and tell me about your leaders, what do they value?” and she wanted to get a feel for the Black Tower, how matters were unfolding as the leadership shifted once more and what it would mean for her.

[Leander Varned]

Shaeva was, indeed, a very different sort of woman, as in Leander's experience, many female channelers, both Aes Sedai and otherwise, had trouble acknowledging that all Asha'men were not the enemy even though many years had passed since the Tower War. While her presence here already suggested Shaeva's willingness to accept the men of the Black Tower as something other than the enemy, Leander still appreciated hearing it directly from her. He smiled at her, very briefly, and when the Kinswoman turned towards him, Leander stopped walking.

"I'll do my best not to disturb any of them, if you choose to allow me into your home," Leander told her. He then turned his attention to the walls of the Black Tower that enclosed them, looking from one guard tower to the next as he contemplated the question Shaeva had asked him. It wasn't one he could answer quickly or idly, and he took some time to consider how much he could tell her. While she seemed sincere enough, and he had no reason to doubt that she was exactly who she said she was, Leander still saw no reason to provide her with excessive details of the work the men beneath him were carrying out.

He said carefully, "As a Captain of my Legion, I am responsible for the Asha'men working in four different countries. I give them orders as needed and keep track of what needs the Fire Legion can best meet in each country.These can be very different but include general recruiting, assisting men and women born with the spark, and occasionally handling the rare channeler who has proven to be a threat to the world. It is my duty to make sure these are carried out in the countries I am responsible for and to ensure my men have what they need to follow the orders I give." He spoke with quiet passion and belief in the purpose of his Legion, barely pausing to take a breath as he continued to study the walls around them.

"I also try to take on assignments myself, as often as I can, to experience what my men are seeing in the countries where they are posted, and to continue learning." He often feared becoming the sort of Captain who retired completely to his study and the necessary paperwork, forgetting entirely how to function as an Asha'man of the Fire Legion should. Since that sort of information was entirely too private to share, Leander instead looked back at Shaeva before answering the rest of her question.

"As for our leaders, I'm afraid I can't say much more than you likely already know. You've surely heard of the recent election of our M'Hael, Varian Mathayas, and while I've known him for years, I don't know him well. I can tell you that he seems interested in restoring the relationship between the Towers, and others that remain tense due to the Tower War. To me, this suggests that he has every intention of becoming a strong, capable M'Hael, but it's too soon to know just what changes he will bring to the Tower. As for our other leaders, the Baijan'M'Hael and the Tsorovan'M'Hael, I only know that they appear to support the M'Hael in whatever he does. I personally choose to have confidence in their abilities unless one of them shows that he does not deserve it."

Feeling that he'd told her quite enough about the Black Tower, their leaders, and his place within it, Leander asked a question of his own. "And you? Is your only task to look after the women who live with you, or do you have other duties for the Kin, if I may ask?" He didn't want to press for more than she was willing to tell him, but suspected there had to be more to her life than supervising a group of adult women.

[Shaeva Fyron]

And with a small smile Shaeva listened to Leander, studying him and mulling over nearly every word he offered her for every detail. The details mattered and they could certainly change the flow of the pattern, missing one might lead her down the wrong path and so she did her best to remember them all. Everything he offered.

”I confess, I serve the Kin far less than they would like and perhaps far more than I should,” and she meant every word. The Kin offered her a home when the Tower could glean no more from her yet they were not her family, nor her friends. The Kin served a purpose and in return they tried to restrict her, to temper her desire for more power to protect herself and others from the Seanchan menace. The Aiel, the Maidens in particular, looked to her potential and offered her the tools to harness her body ”It is not in my nature to remain where my freedom might be taken from me once more, I prefer to be ever moving and to be proactive. Mostly I find myself travelling with or on behalf of the Far Dareis Mai. In helping them they help me to remove shackles from those who can channel, other than that I spend much of my time ensuring my wards can survive the darkness of the world within which we are all living,” and though sharing her relationship with the Maidens might be a step further than she wanted to go it might help her to build trust with him.

”You would be our honoured guest should you choose to join us, what we have I offer to share with you and well I should warn you that some Kinswomen have been away from the wider world almost as long as a Novice so you might receive… attention from them,” and the thought brought a twinkling of rare mirth into her rich eyes.

[Leander Varned]

Leander smiled at Shaeva's comment about some of the Kinswomen, and if there was just a hint of sadness to it, he hoped that she wouldn't noticed it. "I'll do my best not to be a distraction," he told her calmly. Leander wasn't worried about it, because even if some of the women were....overly attentive......he doubted he'd notice. His attention wandered and his pace slowed as he considered why he believed that. His reasoning was that over the many years that he'd been married, Leander had simply stopped seeing such behavior from any woman who wasn't his Sofie. He didn't expect he'd ever be fortunate enough to find another woman who even came close to her, and so a few lonely Kinswomen were of little concern to him.

Though distracted now, Leander had caught most of what Shaeva had said earlier, and he turned his attention back to his guest. He silently scolded himself for spending any amount of time caught up in his own thoughts. Looking at Shaeva, he brought up a question that had come to mind earlier. "You've spent time with the Far Dareis Mai?" he asked. If he remembered correctly, that was a group of Aiel women who fought as well as their men, but the dark haired, dark eyed woman beside him hardly looked like any Aiel Leander had ever met. To be fair, the number of them he'd ever known was so low that he could count it on his two hands and still have fingers left...which was why her casual mention of working with Aiel was both unusual and interesting.

[Shaeva Fyron]

”I lived among the Aiel for some time, more than once,” Shaeva replied softly as she stopped walking, studying the environment around her. She watched the Asha’man carefully while never letting her attention wander from Leander for too long. She felt naked without her weapons but it was their home and so they had every right to expect her to be unarmed and at their mercy just as she expected to be safe among them.

She rarely shared anything about herself with anyone, let alone during their first meeting, yet opening up could help build bridges that she needed to build ”At first my mission was simple, help to build upon our alliance with the Wise Ones particularly trade and while I travelled with the Aiel through the wastes I sought to break the rules of the Kin and learn more about the One Power,” and she paused, swallowing the lump in her throat. Her time among the Aiel was tied intrinsically to one of the most painful moments in her life after the collar ”I went back to my normal life after, what little I had, and then the war between the Black Tower and the White Tower began… without dwelling upon it I was here when an Aes Sedai was slain and her bonded Asha’man went mad behind these very walls, I was there when she died. In the wake of the war and the things I witnessed I decided to return to the wastes where the Maidens accepted me, I suppose they found a Wetlander with a Maiden’s temper amusing, so they trained me,” and she plucked the veil from beneath her jacket, not drawing it up but instead holding it out.

”The Kin gave me purpose and then the Maidens gave me a way to protect myself and that purpose, I mastered every art they put before me to the best of my ability. I swore their oaths, that I would never wield a sword and the like,” and she levelled her gaze upon him once more, offering him a calming smile ”We do what we must.”